Windshield wiper actuating means



Aug 29, 1950 T. .1. scolELD 2,520,344

WINDSHIELD WIPER ACTUATING MEANS Filed April ll, 1946 2 sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 29, 1950 T. J. scoFlELD WINDSHIELD WIPER ACTUATING `MEANS r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1l. 1946v NVENTOR.

Theodore J. Stoffe/a BY J9 TTORNEY Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,520,344 WINDSI-IIELD WIPER AG'lUAIIbIGr` MEANS 'Theodore Johnson "Scofield, Jackson,- Mich.

Application Aprilrll, 1946, Serial No.661,44l7

*9 Claims.

1 The invention relates to improvements Ain actuating means for motor vehicle windshield Wipers. The principal .objects .of the invention are .to provide improved means for actuating .a windshield wiper and for maintaining said wiper, when desired, in a predetermined idle position; to provide an improved `manually controlled .and electro-pneumatically 4operated mechanism .for actuating, 4as long as Amay be desired, a windshield wiper, or lpair of wipers, and for insuring,

upon actuation of .the manual control means of said mechanism to an `operation-stopping .position of said means, movement of .the wiper .or wipers into, .and retention thereof in, .a .predeten mined normal idle .or parked position; .and .to

provide improved manually controlled means for vibrating a windshield Wiper or wipers .aslong `as may be desired through a xed arc for Vcleaning action of the wiper or wipers and for moving .each said wiper beyond .one limit of its arc ci .cleaning movement into a predetermined normal idle or parked position; and to provide an elec-- for apair of windshield lwipers illustrating'a preferred embodiment of the invention, the actuating means being shown in anormal idle condition in which the wipers are fparked in 'a position, 'such as along the lower edge of the usual glass panels of 'a windshield, in which they will not obstruct 'vision through the windshield, `a cover `plate for a part of the wiper actuating means lhereinafter described being omitted;

Figure 2 `is `a ysectional 4view `on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 .is a sectional view on the line `3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a .detail plan view showinglon an enlarged scale certain 4valve parts 'illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional View :on an enlarged scale taken on line -2--2 of Figure 1 and showing on an enlarged scale .certain `parts illustrated in Figure .2;

Figure 6 is a .sectional view -of .the control de.-

al vice unit of the wiper .actuating means taken on the line .6-6 of Figure 1.;

Figure '7 is a detail view lof .the .control .device unit taken .on .the line .1--8 .of Fig-ure .6 .and .looking in the direction indicated by .the .arrows LA.;

Figure .8 is .a ,detail view of the .control device vunit `taken on the line 'I-B of Figure 46 and looking `in the direction indicated by .the arrows B.;

.Figure `9 is a fragmentary sectional View yof .the control device Vunit taken through the .unit approximately .on .the irregular line .Si-f5 of Eigure 8;

Figure l0 is a .fragmentary and partially `diagrammatic detail sectional view o'f the .control device unit taken throughithe unit approximately ,on .the irregular .line I-.I of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a view .similar toFigure l0 wherein .the parts illustrated are shown in .the .positions they occupy .during operation of .the ,actuating .means for vibrating the wiper 4or wipers .for

.cleaning action;

Figure 12 is a .digrammatic `view illustrating an installation of the actuating means with .the parts .in normal idle condition.; and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view .corresponding to .Figure 1.2, .but .illustrating the .controldevice .unit .as it .is positionedduring wiper vibrating actuation of the `actuating.-means.

This application for patent .is a continuation in `part of my application for patent for Wind' :shieldWiper Motor, .Serial No. 401,143, filed Jil-1y .5, 1941, upon which `Patent No. 2,399,833.w.as granted May '7, 1946. Y

The `improved Windshield wiper actuating fmeans, as shown in a preferred embodiment .thereof illustrated in .the drawings, comprises pri- .marilya wiper actuating motor unit andacontrol -unit for said -motor lunit, .designated generally in Figures 12 `and 13, respectively, by ythe Yreference .numerals I5 .and .116.. The casing of :themotor unitcornprises ,a segmental metallic body `portion ITI of substantially .U-shape in crosssection and la metallic .cover portion t8 .fastened to `the bpdy portion I'I, as by screws I9, to form withsaid body .portiona .segmental `piston .chamber .in `wlfiiclsi is vibrative .a wiper-.actuating piston vane 2i). ,of oscillating vane type.

Piston vane ,2D is formed .of `metal .and has la hub portonza xed -to .a wiper .actuating metallic .shaft .2 I which `extends ytransversely .of .the piston chamber under .and closely adjacent cover .IB rand .is .coaxial with the .axis .of .curvature .of `the segmental piston chamber,.said shaft being jour- `.naled in .suitable bearings .22 .and 23 carried'fby `body portion .I 'I .of the motor casing. Onelend-of shaft 2| extends outwardly beyond the adjacent shaft bearing 23 and has xed thereto, to oscillate therewith, a wiper actuating arm or lever 24 which in the construction shown extends in opposite directions from said shaft and is provided at its ends with two pivot studs 25 to which are pivotally connected two links 26 which in turn are pivotally connected at 2l with arms 28 of a pair of windshield wipers 29 of any suitable and conventional form journaled on the motor vehicle at 38. The wipers 29 are so mounted on the vehicle that, in the normal idle condition of the actuating means, each wiper extends along an edge of a transparent portion of the windshield, said wipers, when idle, preferably extending horizontally, as shown, and being so journaled that they extend along the lower edge of the windshield while idle. The metallic piston vane 28 is rigid and preferably carries suitable flexible packings 3l to prevent leakage of air around its edges. A suitable flexible packing strip 32 is set in a transverse groove in cover I8 to Vseal the space between cover I8 and hub 28a of the piston vane against leakage of air past the .piston between the hub and cover.

The body portion I'I of the casing is formed' with pierced ears 33 for bolting of the casing to a suitable xed part of the vehicle to rigidly support the casing, and also to electrically ground the casing to the vehicle as indicated at G in Figure l2 for the purpose hereinafter pointed out.

The cover part I8 of the casing is formed with jan upwardly facing valve chamber 34 the upper end of which is covered by a disk-like metal cover plate 35 which is removably mounted in a suitable manner on the rim of the chamber to cover the chamber but to allow passage of air from the atmosphere into the chamber between the cover and rim of the chamber. Preferably the cover 35 is loosely and separably connected with part vI8 of the casing by two screws (not shown) which pass through the cover 35 and are threaded in holes 36 in the rim of the valve-chamber-forming portion of part I8.

A Part I8 of the casing is shaped to provide in the valve chamber 34 at one side of the chamber a flat valve seat 3'! to the face of which extend three slot-like parts 38, 39 and 40, which are formed side by side in casing part I8. One end of an air conduit or suction line 4I is attached to part I8 `of the motor casing at 42 and is in constant communication with the central port v'39 through a bore or air passage 43 formed in vpart I8 and extending from said end of conduit 4I to port 39. lThe other end of suction line 4I is connected, as hereinafter described, to a stationary part 'I4 of the control unit I9. Also formed in part I8 are two bores or air passages 44 and 45. Bore 44 connects port 38 with the upper end of the piston chamber at one side oi the piston 28, and bore 45 connects port 40 with Ythe upper end of said chamber at the opposite side of said piston.

A valve 45 of block-like form is slidable back f- 34, and when the valve is positioned to connect ports 39 and 48 it uncovers port 38 thus placing port 38 in communication with the valve chamber. As hereinbefore explained, the valve chamber is constantly connected to atmosphere.

For sliding the valve 46 alternately to said two limit positions, there is provided in the valve chamber a swingable valve actuating armature 48. The armature has a yoke-like end pivoted on a pin 49 the ends of which are mounted in the arms of a yoke-like boss 59 formed on part I8 within the valve chamber 34 at the opposite side of the chamber from that at which the valve seat 3l is located. Adjacent its free end the armature extends through, and removably but closely fits in, a sl-ot 5I formed in and extending entirely across the top of valve 45. Also adjacent its free end, the armature has a notch 52 in its lower edge in which the valve 46 removably but closely lits above the seat-engaging face of the valve. The free end of the armature is alternately engageable with stop pins 53 and 54 to arrest the armature and valve with the valve at one or the other of its two limits of movement above described.

The armature is common to and extends between two electromagnets 55 and 55. The electromagnets are fixedly mounted on part I8 in the valve chamber 34 by suitable anchoring devices 57 with the magnets arranged at opposite sides of the armature between the valve 46 and the pivot 49 of the armature, each magnet being arranged to attract the armature when the magnet is energized. The magnets are alternatively energizable by means hereinafter described. When magnet 55 is energized, it draws the armature against stop 58 into the position shown in Figures l, 2, 5 and l2 to position valve 48 to connect ports 39 and 38 as shown in Figures l to 5 and l2. When magnet 56 is energized, it draws the armature against stop 54 to position the valve to connect ports 39 and 48 and uncover port 33. The stop pins 53 and 54 arrest the armature before it actually contacts either magnet.

Two stationary electric switch contacts 58 and 59 are xedly held to, and electrically insulated from, cover part I8 of the casing of motor unit I5 in suitable known manner. Two electric wire terminals 68 and 5I are xedly held to, and electrically insulated from, the valve-chamber-forming portion 34 of the cover part I8 of the casing of the motor unit I5 in suitable known manner. One end 55a of the coil of electromagnet 55 is connected to switch contact 58, and one end 55a of the coil of electromagnet 53 is connected to switch contact 59. The other end 55h of the coil of electromagnet 55 is connected to terminal 88, and the other end 58h of the coil of electroinagnet 55 is connected to terminal 6I. rlwo electric circuit wires S2 and 83 are connected at one end respectively to terminals 65 and 5I which electrically connect said wire ends respectively to end 55b of the coil of magnet 55 and to end 56h of the coil of magnet 59. rlhe other ends of circuit wires 62 and 83 are connected respectively to wire terminals 84 and 95 which are fixedly held to and electrically insulated from a stationary element 'I4 of control unit I 8 as hereinafter described. A circuit wire 66 is electrically connected at one end thereof to wire 62 and to terminal 54 at said terminal and is connected at its other end to one terminal of an electric battery 8l. The battery is carried by the motor vehicle in suitable known manner and has its other terminal grounded to hicle-driving vinternal combustion motor (not shown) of the motor vehicle. Other suitable sources of electric current and of air suction may be substituted for the battery 61 and the internal combustion motor, if desired, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Those ends of ports 90 and 9! which terminate at face I4a of part 14 are spaced around the axial line of part 14 equidistant from said line.

The outer end of the cylindrical piston-cylinder-forming extension 89 of rotative part 'l5 of control unit i6 is sealed by a disk-like end wall 93 which may be sprung or forced into a circumferential channel 93a in portion 80. Part 15 is formed with an axial bore 94 which extends from the other end wall 89a of cylinder 3|] part way through stem portion 'I9 of said part and has an enlarged end portion 94a open at end wall 8i)a of the piston cylinder 80.

Reciprocal in the piston cylinder 3D-8a-93 is an automatic action-delaying piston valve device comprising a piston 95 fixed to a guide stem 96 which has a sliding fit in bore 94 and is of 4smaller diameter than the enlarged end 941iL oi said bore. One end of the guide stem projects beyond the other face of the piston to provide an abutment 96a to abut cylinder end wall 93 as hereinafter described to limit the stroke of the piston in one direction. At the opposite face of the piston from abutment 95a, the stem 96 has fixed thereto a disk valve 91 adapted to close the open end of part 94EL of bore 94, said valve being adapted to seat on the end wall filia of cylinder 8980a93 around said end of bore portion Sila to close communication between said bore S14- 9M and the cylinder and limit the storke of the piston in one direction.

Extending through part 'f5 are two ports or air passages 98 and 99. One end of each port 98 and 99 opens at face 15a of part '15. The other end of port 98 opens at end wall t0*3v of cylinder 8U-8a-93 outwardly beyond the area of said end wall on which valve 9i is seatable. The other end of port 99 opens into the side of the enlarged portion 94a of bore 99. Preferably, the ports 98 and 39 are restricted in diameter or capacity adjacent their points of entry into cylinder 86 and `bore portion 94a, respectively, as indicated at 98a and 99a. Formed in face I5a of part 15 is a channel-like port or air passage 100 which is curved in an arc about the axis of part 19 and long enough to bridge the ports 9il-9l in part 14 at the On limit of rotation of part 15. A restricted air passage or port i9! formed in part 75 constantly connects the channel or port |09 with cylinder Sii-S-SS adjacent end wall 93 of said cylinder even when abutment 9G is engaged with wall 93. As hereinbefore explained, the parts 7A and 'l5 are connected for relative turning with their faces 'Ma and 15a in light but .not air tight Contact.

The ports 9), 9i, 98, 99 and |90 are spaced around and equidistant from the axial line of parts 'hl and 'i5 and are so arranged that in the Off position of knob 13, the port 98 is in registry with part Qt, the port 99 is in registry with port 9|, and channel H39 is out of registry with ports 99 and 9! while in the On position of the knob l2, the ports 93 and 99 are out of registry with ports 99 and 9i and the channel |99 connects or bridges said ports 9D and 9|,

Operation YThe mode of operation of the above-described windshield wiper actuating means will be obvious to those skilled in the art but now will be described,

In the normally idle condition of said means with control knob or handle 'i3 thereof in its Oii position, the parts of said means are positioned as shown in Figures 1 to 1G, and as shown in full lines in Figure 12. In this condition of said means, the control knob 73 has been turned counterclockwise (as said knob is viewed in Figure 1) into Off position, and the part l5 of the control unit has been turned in unison with said knob in the same direction. The piston 2li-3| of the motor unit l5 has been urged against stop 'I2 beyond one limit of the normal working range of vibration of said piston to force the wipers 29 into their respective parked positions shown in full lines in Figure l2. The normal working limits of vibration of each of two wipers 29 are indicated. by the broken lines radiating from the pivots 38 in Figure l2. In their parked position, the wipers extend preferably horizontally, or substantially so, as shown.

In this condition of the actuating means, both of the electromagnets 55 and 55 which vibrate f valve 45 are de-energized, valve i5 is positioned to connect ports 38 and 39, and the delayed action valve 91 has seated and cut off communication between ports 99 and 9i so that piston 20--3I is subject at one side thereof to atmospheric pressure through port lil-Ale and at its opposite face has been finally cut off from the source of suction by the seating of valve el. The wipers 29 are thus normally maintained in parked position by atmospheric pressure on one side of piston 2B-3I without maintaining suction from the source of suction at the other side of the piston.

To put the wiper actuating means into action for vibrating the wipers back and forth through their Working range of wiping action as long as may be desired, it is simply necessary to turn the knob 73 to its other limit of movement or On position, the knob being turned to its On position in clockwise direction as the knob is viewed in Figure l. When the control knob is so turned, the wiper actuating means operates as will now be described. Part 'E5 of the control unit is turned by the knob into the position indicated in Figures l1 and 13, causing bridge piece 89 to connect switch contacts 64 and @5 until the knob is again turned to Off position. This turning of part 75 also carries ports 9B and 99 in part 'i5 out of communication with ports 9i? and 9i in part 14 of the control unit and causes channel port |00 in part 'l5 to directly connect ports 90 and 9| in part 14. With the parts so positioned, the motor unit will act to vibrate the piston ii-l and the wipers 29 through their respective normal ranges of vibration until the knob 13 is again turned to Off position. A description of a single cycle of such operation of the motor unit will suffice.

Upon turning of the knob to On position, current rst flows from one terminal of battery Si via wire SS, contact gli, bridge piece S9, contact 85, and wire 63, through magnet 56 to contact 59, which at this time is grounded at G through contact 59, piston -Si and casing I'-IS of the motor unit. Since the other terminal of the battery is grounded at G', the magnet 5S is immediately energized and draws armature 48 against stop 5t, thereby causing valve 46 to connect ports :i3-39 with port ll6-45 and open port 38-44 to atmosphere via chamber 34, whereupon piston 2li-3l will be moved toward electromagnets being directly connected to one side of said source, and a manually operated switch in circuit between one side of the other of said electromagnets and the same side oi said source, whereby upon opening said manually operated switch said valve action will stop with the valve positioned by the rst mentioned one of said electromagnets for a piston stroke in a predetermined direction to a position beyond the normal limit of the piston stroke to park said wiper element.

3. In a windshield wiper actuating means having a fluid pressure motor provided with a piston chamber, a wiper vibrating piston reciprocal in said chamber, and with valve means movable alternately to two positions to connect said chamber alternately at opposite sides of the piston with a suction conduit to effect reciprocation of the piston, the combination with said motor of a control valve device manually movable to one position to open a communication between said valve means of the motor and the suction conduit to put said motor into operation and manually movable to a second and motor stopping position to close said communication and open a second communication between said valve means and conduit, automatic valve means associated with said control valve device and responsive to suction through said second ccmmunication to close said communication upon elapse of a predetermined time interval following manual movement of said control valve device to its second position, and electrical actuating means for alternately moving the valve means of the motor to said two positions of said valve means in response to opposite strokes of predetermined extent of the motor piston, and a switch associated with said manually movable control valve device to condition said electrical actuating means for operation when said control valve device is moved to its rst position and to subsequently disable said actuating means with said motor valve means positioned in a predetermined one only of its two positions following movement of said control valve device to its second position.

4. In a windshield wiper actuating means having a uid pressure motor provided with a piston chamber, a wiper vibrating piston reciprocal in said chamber, and with valve means movable alternately to two positions for connecting said chamber alternately at opposite sides of the piston with a suction conduit to effect reciprocation of the piston, the combination with said motor of a, manually movable control element therefor movable to a positionV to put said motor into operation and to a second position to disable said motor, a valve device responsive to movement of said control element to its rst position to place said valve means of the motor in communication with the suction conduit and responsive to movement of said control element to its second position to maintain said valve means in communication with the suction conduit for a, predetermined time interval and then close said communication until the control element is again moved manually to its first position, and means responsive to movement of the control element respectively to its rst and second positions to respectively automatically move the motor valve means alternately to its two positions and to cause said valve means to assume and remain in a predetermined one of its two positions until said control element is again moved to its rst position.

5. A windshield wiper actuating means, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the motor piston is movable an added extent in a predetermined direction beyond a predetermined one of its normal stroke limits in response to said temporary maintenance of said second communication which follows movement of said control valve device to its said second position, and wherein a stop is provided to limit such added movement of the piston.

6. A windshield wiper actuating means, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the motor piston is movable a predetermined distance in one direc` tion beyond its normal range of reciprocation to park an actuated wiper beyond one limit of the normal zone of cleaning vibration of the wiper, and wherein said piston is movable through said distance by suction through said conduit maintained for said predetermined time interval following movement of the Control element to its second position.

7. A windshield wiper actuating means, as claimed in claim 4, wherein the means for automatically moving the motor valve means comprises electromagnetic means for shifting said valve means in response to a predetermined travel of the motor piston in each direction, and an energizing electric circuit for said electromagnetic means having therein a switch operable by said control element to a closed position conditioning said circuit to put said electromagnetic means into action and to an open position conditioning said circuit to bring said motor valve means to rest by movement of said control element respectively to its rst and second positions.

8. A remote control unit, for putting into and out of action a windshield wiper actuating motor which is connective with a source of suction and has electrically operable valve means for alternately subjecting opposite sides of a wiper actuating piston to suction from said source, comprising a control switch for an energizing electric circuit for said valve means, a suction conduit shut-off valve device having inlet and outlet suction conduit connections, and a manually movable control element for said switch and said valve device connected with said switch to cause opening and closing of the switch and connected with the valve device to cause the valve device to open a path of iluid flow between its conduit connections upon closing of said switch and to close said path upon opening of said switch.

9. A control unit, as claimed in claim 8, wherein said valve device includes suction controlled valve means to temporarily open and thereafter automatically close a second path of uid flow between the conduit connections of the valve device upon each closure of the first mentioned path.

THEODORE JOHNSON SCOFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,989,846 Christman Feb. 5, 1935 2,012,804 Bean Aug. 27, 1935 2,209,921 Horton July 30, 1940 2,245,626 Twiss June 17, 1941 2,257,066 OShei Sept. 23, 1941 2,399,833 Scoeld May 7, 1946 

